A Joe Pike Novel  Blood Ties
by wildlypoetic
Summary: A mysterious woman shows up at The Elvis Cole Detective Agency looking for help with a stalker. Elvis doesn't realize his friend Joe Pike is already on the job. Sometimes beautiful things come in deadly packages.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a hot, dry summer and the Santa Anna winds had everyone on edge including me. It had been months since anyone called on the Elvis Cole Detective Agency. Lucy had been busy with a big case, Pike hadn't shown his face in weeks, and I just wasn't feeling the love. That was Pike, here one minute, gone the next like a spring storm.

I was stretched out in my chair with my feet up drinking a cold beer; it _was_ after 4pm, when someone knocked on the door. I stuck the beer in a drawer and put a mint in my mouth.

"It's open I yelled."

I sat upright. The woman who walked in was a stunner. She reminded of Lucy, long and lean with the shapely legs of a runner. She wore an expensive, tailored light blue suit with the skirt cut just short enough to leave you wanting more. Dark wavy hair framed a face that belonged on the cover of a magazine. For me it's impossible to tell the age of a woman and in L.A. you never know and certainly don't ask. If I had to pick and age…I'd say it was perfect.

She extended her hand. "Mr. Cole? I'm Diana Carter."

I swallowed the mint and was at a loss for words. I'm the king of wit and always had something funny to say but this time my mind was blank. Diana, divine, goddess of the hunt, the name seemed to fit.

I stood up and shook her hand. Her grip was firm but her hands were soft with manicured nails.

"Yes I am. What can I help you with?" Not very witty today. I motioned for her to sit down.

"There's no easy way to put this. I'm afraid I'm being stalked." There was a calmness to her voice that few in her situation could pull off.

"Are you getting threatening letters or messages? Strange cars you see more than once?" California had some tough stalking laws and I was curious as to why she didn't go to the police, but you know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth, so I kept mine shut

.

"He is very good. We haven't been able to find out anything about him. I don't even have a photo to give you. I'm not crazy. I know he's out there watching me. I recently moved my business out here."

"Do you mind if I ask what you do?"

"Import, export."

I didn't know what to think about that one. That was a term used to cover so many things and most of them were illegal. I couldn't imagine this woman doing anything illegal. A face and body like that she could have been on the arm of any rich man in the world, but she didn't strike me as the type.

She stood, walked to the door and looked out at the city. I'd been dying to get a look at her eyes and she finally took off the glasses. If I hadn't already swallowed my mint I would have now. She had the most stunning blue eyes. The only other eyes I had ever seen like hers belonged to my partner, Joe Pike. I saw why she picked that color suit, it accentuated her eyes.

"You come highly recommended, Mr. Cole." She sighed.

"I'll do whatever I can, to find out who is behind this." After all they don't call me The World's Greatest Detective for nothing, I wanted to say.

She gave a pained smile and touched my arm. "I hope you can help me. I have a very bad feeling about this." She put the glasses back on.

She pulled a large envelope out of her bag and handed it to me. "Here's some information you will need and a down payment on your services." There was a stack in there that had to be at least five grand, my heart skipped a beat.

"Don't worry. I'll be watching whoever is watching you."

She headed to the door. "I feel so much better Mr. Cole, thank you."

The limo out front belonged to her. I watched as her driver open the door, she hesitated and looked up at me and smiled. I felt strangely at ease and attracted to her at the same time. She did look like Joe, only pretty. I too, had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well.


	2. Chapter 2

Diana got into the back of the limo and sighed. Pike was elusive, always around but always out of reach. Like smoke on the wind he was gone before she got to him. How could she protect a man she couldn't find? He seemed to know they were out there and he had gone to ground. She was stalking Pike and they were stalking her.

When she first heard about Joe Pike she thought he was nothing more than an urban legend. An indestructible God of war, a cat with nine lives with a file that should have been as thick as a phone book but wasn't. There was very little said about Joe Pike, some good, some bad depending on which organization was giving their input. The police force had a hatred for the man that bordered on obsession. Most government organizations like the one she worked for had respect for him, and a bit of fear of him. Pike was well connected, and those he called friends were loyal.

Like her; Pike had seen the world at its worst. He had survived jungles and deserts and mercenaries who were fueled by blood lust and greed. Yet, he wasn't faceless and nameless like so many who had his past; he was real and led a somewhat normal life. He could be found and didn't seem to care who found him as long as it was on his terms. Eventually she would come face to face with Joe Pike and he would have to answer for past sins. If her enemies got to him first she wouldn't have a chance to get the answers she needed.

What better way to keep an eye on Elvis Cole then to pretend to be a damsel in distress, men fell for it every time. Her looks made her an asset to the agency and a liability for those who brushed her off as a mere woman. Women were always underestimated in this world, especially in her line of work, and she took advantage of it to the fullest. People had a hard time picturing a woman as a cold, ruthless killer.

While Elvis was watching her; she'd be watching his back and hopefully she'd get a crack at the Joe Pike.

I stopped off for food on my way home from the office. Having money in my pocket made me want to celebrate with a steak and a cold beer. I opened the door and got that eerie feeling someone was in my house and I wondered who was sleeping in my bed. I got my answer when I saw Pike sitting on the deck with the cat in his lap. It was odd because his car wasn't in the driveway. Sometimes I think Pike and the cat have a psychic connection. I can go weeks without seeing either one of them, and then magically they both appear at the same time.

I popped the top off two beers and brought the steak out with me.

"Something wrong with the Jeep?"

"Nope."

I offered him a beer and didn't push the subject; with Pike sometimes it was best not to know what going on in his world. The nagging question of Diana gnawed at me like hunger pains. I lit the grill and asked a stupid question.

"You're an only child, no brothers or sisters, right?"

Pike nodded.

That was a good thing I didn't want to think of another child going through what he went through.

"No kids?"

"Nope."

"You sure?

Pike pulled his glasses down and stared at me. I didn't get to see those eyes often and they were the same shade of blue as Diana's.

"As sure as a man can ever be."

He looked annoyed but I had to ask. Could a man ever be sure about such things? You heard stories about long lost relatives appearing it all the time. Did Pike have a sister or a daughter he didn't know about? I couldn't imagine that; Pike knew everything and he was the most careful man I had ever met.

I inhaled as the steak hit the grill and sizzled. "I've got some leftover Thai in the fridge."

"No, you don't," Pike said.

Pike poured beer in his cupped hand and the cat lapped it up. When he was done; the cat came over and rubbed my leg.

"I know what you want." I scratched him and went inside for a bowl of water. The cat unlike Joe loved his meat cooked or not. "We got a new client today. She thinks she's being stalked. I don't understand why she isn't going to the police with this but anyone who pays cash upfront can't be all bad. The crazy thing is she looks a lot like you. You have the same eyes."

I came back out to the deck and Pike was gone. The cat was sitting by the grill impatiently waiting for his share of my steak. I shrugged. "Well I guess it's just you and me."

Pike slipped off the deck before Elvis came back out. The new client wasn't the only one being stalked. Pike hadn't been home in days and had been avoiding the gun shop and Elvis. He switched cars with a friend and had stopped going to his usual haunts. Whoever they were they were good. He hadn't seen anyone but something told him they were there. He made his way down the hillside and walked a block over to his borrowed car. Tomorrow he was picking up a disposable cell phone. If they were after him they had probably done their research and no one would be safe. Joe got into the Range Rover and headed out.

Why hadn't this woman simply gone to the police and why had Elvis been so interested in his family?

I took Pike's beer bottle and put it in a bag. Diana wasn't the first victim of my hair grabbing window frame. I've been telling myself I'd fix it, but I was glad I didn't now. I don't know why I had stashed it in a clean tissue. There was something about her that said trouble.

I picked up the phone and called John Chen.

"Hello."

John sounded annoyed.

"How are you doing, John?"

"Good until now. We're swamped at work. It must be the heat, the bodies are piling up."

That made sense the crime rate always jumped with the heat. People who had little patience before had none now.

"I'm sorry to hear that, John. They don't pay you enough for all you do."

"You got that right. What info do you want yesterday that should take me a month to process?"

"John, I'm trusting you with a lot here. I need you to run DNA on two samples and see if they are related. When you're done you have to destroy all the samples and the results."

"Geez, I've got two kidneys would you like one of those, too?" His voice perked up as the wheels turned in his head. "Is this a paternity thing for you or Joe? At least somebody's getting some. It sure isn't me."

I never thought about it but I guess I was asking him to run a paternity test. "If I told you I'd have to kill you. This is a rush."

"Damn, this is a paternity test. I could so see Joe with kids. A guy like that has to get laid a lot. Accidents are bound to happen."

"Thanks," I muttered. "Can you do it, John?"

John hesitated. "Sure, I'll do it for you and Joe."

"Great, John. I owe you."

"You don't have a sister do you?"

"Sorry John, I'm an only child."

"Figures."

I wasn't sure how Joe was going to feel about me doing this behind his back, but I had to do it for both our sakes.


	3. Chapter 3

Something was off with Pike and I decided to keep an eye on him, too. Joe was in a class all by himself. I wasn't certain I could follow him without being spotted but I had try. He was cagey and never seemed to let his guard down. I was pretty sure he wasn't staying at the condo and he had been avoiding my calls, but Pike needed to run like he needed to breathe. It looked like I was going to be up early searching for Pike.

I tossed and turned for hours and gave up on sleep about 1:00 am. The house was quiet for a change, the winds had died down. I checked the deck…no sign of Pike or the cat.

There were two sets of four following Pike. I was completely confused now. Each group moved independently. I couldn't imagine anyone wasting the resources since they were both on him, flanking him. If they had a coordinated effort they could have brought him down or at least died trying.

Pike disappeared as quickly as he had appeared and after a while the two groups scattered. They were so busy watching Pike they didn't even see each other or me. I gave up and headed back to my car to call him.

My passenger side door flew open and Pike slid in. "Drive" he said. I slammed my door and punched the gas.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Uh…watching your back. I was worried."

"Elvis I don't need your help, so stay out of this."

"You had eight on you, flanking you on both sides. I think you need help." I emphasized the word help.

"I was trying to get a head count. The second group just joined in. I don't think they were on me. They were on the first group."

"That doesn't make sense. You don't think they are working together."

"They don't have a clue," Pike said.

"Joe, I want to help. Why do you think they are after you?"

Pike didn't answer. "Pull over here."

I did what he wanted. I grabbed his arm when he opened the door. He stared at me from behind the glasses and I wondered if those eyes were angry. I moved my hand.

"They're spooks Elvis, I don't want you involved. I'll call you." Joe got out and disappeared into the early morning light.

I headed back to my house and hoped for a few hours of restless sleep. Agents were following my best friend. I wondered who was following Diana Carter and if it was related. I wanted to call Chen and pester him but didn't want to make him angry. If she was related to Joe maybe whoever was following her was following Joe.

Pike's cell phone buzzed and he didn't recognize the number. "Yes."

"Mr. Pike this is Diana Cater. I hired Mr. Cole to help me."

Diana was the woman Elvis had talked about, the one with his eyes.

"How did you get my number?"

"Mr. Cole gave it to me. He thinks this case is more than he can handle. I'm afraid Mr. Pike. I don't know what they want or what they are going to do to me. Can you please meet me?"

"Give me your address."

Pike copied it down. This was the woman Elvis thought was related to him, a sister or a daughter. Pike couldn't imagine having either. Could a man ever be certain he didn't have a child? Pike was always careful; he wasn't sure he should pass his genetic flaws onto anyone else.

Pike called me at 3:40 pm from an unknown number. "Did you give Diana Carter my phone number?"

I was shocked. "No, Joe. You know I'd never do that without telling you."

"That's what I thought. It looks like I'm going for a meet with whoever is following me. If I don't come back."

"Give me the address and I'll stay out of it. I'll watch your back."

Pike didn't sound enthused about the idea but gave it to me anyway. He was meeting with a woman calling herself Diana Carter in two hours so I did a weapons check and got ready for trouble.

The address was in an industrial part of town and relatively quiet on a weekend. The hairs on the back of my neck were stood up the minute I got out of the car. When this was over I was going to sit Diana Carter down and have a heart to heart and give her the money back.

Pike's address was off. I had a vantage point above the meet. I didn't understand why he had done this. I was too far away to be of any use and I was out of the line of fire. Minutes ticked by slowly and Pike appeared below me.

All I could do was stand by helplessly and watch as Pike walked into an ambush there were two armed men in front and two coming from the rear. I picked up my cell phone to call him but I had no signal it must have been jammed. This was turning out to be more than we expected. My Sig was useless at this distance. I had a ring side seat at watching my best friend Joe Pike die and a part of me would die with him

Pike's spidey senses were tingling and he realized too late he had followed the woman into a trap. He was surrounded and Elvis was too far off to be of any assistance. He got both guns ready and moved carefully to his fate. Two men came around the corner and Pike opened fire. They were wearing very effective vests. His center of mass shots weren't going to work this time. Head shots were tricky when you were running for cover. One of the men fired the first round at Joe striking him square in the chest. Joe staggered back by the impact and realized they weren't using bullets he'd been hit with a bean bag round and then another and another. The last impact hit him in his shoulder and the gun clattered to the ground. He bent down to pick up his python, that's when he saw the other men approaching from behind with the stun guns. He turned quick and the first set went by him but number two hit him dead on and brought him to his knees but he was fighting it. The first man used the Taser in stun gun mode and it felt like angry bees coursing through his veins and in a matter of seconds he knew he would be helpless. The man kicked him in the face and said "You aren't so impressive now." He felt the knee in his back and his arms jerked behind him bound by flex cuffs. He knew there was no escape. They hit him again with the stun gun. Stars filled his vision and then the woman appeared and yelled. "Stop it. I want him alive." A needle pierced his skin and not long after that the world went black.

I hurried down the building to Joe's location. I charged in like a fool not caring about who I would find around the next corner, only afraid of what I would find. The gun fire had stopped and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing and I really didn't have time to think about it. but by the time I got there he was gone and so was everyone else all that was left was some blood on the ground and I wondered if it was Joe's. I tried to concentrate and slow my breathing; this wasn't enough blood to be fatal. If Joe wasn't dead where was he?

Starkey arrived on the scene. "You look like crap Cole. What's going on?"

I ran through all the pertinent details and she kept shaking her head. "I'd ask who would want to kill Pike but I don't think I have enough paper to write them all down. You know Elvis someday this lifestyle is going to come back and bite you in the ass." Starkey scanned the ground. "The good thing is that's not enough blood to be fatal if he was shot. The bad thing is…" She pointed her toe at something on the ground I hadn't noticed before. Taser dots. "I'd say there's a pretty good chance they wanted him alive. Been there, done that, and not even Pike can win against a Taser."

I had never taken a stun gun hit but I knew the cops went through it as a part of training, and I didn't envy her the experience. I thought about it for a moment and agreed. Not even Pike could beat that.

I must have looked annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Elvis. We'll get right on it."

The cops hated Pike so I knew it was a lie and anything I gave to them was a waste of time.


	4. Chapter 4

I was frantic and flying blind. I went home on the off chance that Pike and the cat would be there waiting for me but all I found was an empty house and deck. There was no sign of either one of them and I had no clue where to begin looking. Maybe the dry heat was bringing out the crazies. Pike was being stalked and so was Diana. They had to be pros to pull one over on Pike.

I got on the phone to Pike's employees at the gun shop but no one had seen or heard from him in several days. "What do you want us to do?" he asked.

"Keep your ears to the ground and start calling people. I don't know what else to do."

"Got it."

Joe Pike was my best friend but I didn't have the slightest clue where to start looking for him. What did that say about me? That was Pike; less was more. I had a feeling the less I knew about his life the safer I was. I paced around the living room and then headed to the kitchen for a beer, when I closed the fridge door Diana had appeared in my kitchen like an apparition wearing sunglasses. I must have looked surprised.

"I'm sorry Mr. Cole. I didn't mean to scare you."

She had to be related to Pike. "You didn't. I was expecting someone else. I don't mean to be rude, but I've had something more important come up. I can give you the name of someone else who can help you. How did you get in here, anyway?"

She smiled and avoided the question. "I'm here to help you, Mr. Cole."

"With what?" I asked annoyed by the distraction.

She walked over to the sliding door. "Your cat wants in."

"He's not my cat. He just crashes here when he feels like it."

She cocked her head and smiled. My heart skipped a beat, her actions reminded me of Joe, expect for the smiling. "Then he's your cat. As much as a cat can ever belong to anyone."

"Don't touch him he bites. He hates everyone." Everyone but me and Joe. I held my breath. She reached her hand out and let him come to her. There was growling but that stopped after he sniffed her hand. Not everyone spoke cat. Cat is a complicated language of posturing and give and take. The cat comes to you on his terms and when he wanted to. It was a relationship that couldn't be forced. Much like real friendship or love, either it happened or it didn't. The cat had no real need for us, yet it graced us with its presence anyway.

"What do you have to do with all of this? Someone had been following my partner and our attempt to draw them out backfired. They said they were you and then they managed to take him."

"I'm sorry Mr. Cole. The same people who are stalking me are stalking Mr. Pike. My attempt to lure them out backfired, too. I was doing my best to keep you and Mr. Pike covered and I failed. I'm sorry."

I was confused and showed it.

"I can't go into too much detail. An ex co-worker has it out for me."

Now I was getting angry. I hated this double talk. "Bullshit, tell me the truth or get the hell out. I need to find my friend." I was hoping she wouldn't call my bluff because I wasn't sure I could take her or who would get hurt if I tried.

"I got her burned and now she is going after everyone in my life. My uncle who raised me has already been killed. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah, you work for some government agency made up of initials, but what the hell does that have to do with Joe or me." I was playing dumb. I knew there had to be some blood tie to Joe and Chen hadn't got back to me yet with DNA results on Joe and Diana.

"I'm afraid whoever wants to kill me has Mr. Pike. She will kill him."

There had been no DNA test to tell her she was Joe Pike's daughter, from the first time she saw him she knew, even from a distance she knew. Her mother died in childbirth and all she had had was a name of a man from her past, Joe Pike.

"Why bring us into this?"

"I didn't directly. She didn't just kill my uncle she tortured him to get information about my family. Like I said, I came here to help."

Her tone was flat and emotionless. How could she not care if Pike was actually her father? I wanted to be angry and I was, but anger at her would serve no purpose. I needed to find Joe and I needed her to do that.

"This is all about me and I can't let him be killed for who he is. If she wants me I'll be more visible to draw her out. I have a team with me, but Jana is very, very good."

"Joe wouldn't want you sacrificing yourself for him." I didn't know why I said that. Was it my paternal instincts talking?

"Well Mr. Cole, if Pike is as good as everyone says he is I won't have to, and Jana will have a rude surprise."

"What is Jana very, very good at?"

"Extracting information."

The polite way to say torture. My stomach knotted up and I wish I hadn't asked. I didn't want to think of Joe being tortured by a pro.

"You're not doing this alone. He's my best friend. I need to do this."

"Okay, Mr. Cole."

"Call me, Elvis. Do you have any more than the four men I saw the other night tailing Joe?"

She scrunched her face and shook her head, angry that I knew.

"This isn't the first trouble we've encountered." But it was the first time Joe had been taken prisoner. "So let's get a game plan."


	5. Chapter 5

Pike's consciousness floated in murky water. He felt like he was drowning and clawed his way to the surface. His surroundings told him what he needed to know. The smell of salt air told him he was near the ocean and the dampness told him it was an abandoned warehouse. No doubt one of hundreds that dotted the city's shoreline, making the odds of him being found, slim to none.

"It will all be over soon, Mr. Pike. Once we have your daughter, I'll put you out of your misery quickly."

The man next to her burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. You're going to gut him man like a deer in front of Diana."

Jana turned on him and in two moves she had him on the floor. "Keep your mouth shut or you will be next."

The woman's moves were fast and impressive. He didn't have a daughter, did he? Pike struggled violently until he felt the needle prick his skin again. A calmness washed over him that was soon replaced with pain.

"Just relax; this is my own special blend. The more you fight it the less pleasant it will be. Where's Diana Cater, Mr. Pike?"

The drugs were strong and he fought not to say anything but he couldn't help himself. "I don't know." He was telling the truth whether she would believe him or not. She hit him hard and he tasted blood. She was stronger than she looked. Jana pulled his chin up and looked into his eyes and laughed. "The same freaky eyes. Where is she? She shined a light in his eyes and he squinted in pain."

Pike didn't answer this time. He had nothing else to say to her.

"You're just as stupid as that bitch spawn of yours." She took out the stun gun and gave him a jolt.

The nerves in his body were on fire, the room started to fade, he only hoped whoever Diana Carter was she wouldn't sacrifice herself for him. If he had a daughter why would they want her dead? Had she turned out like him?

The cat walked out of the darkness and dropped something at Pike's feet. It was a kitten, it looked dead. The cat pawed at the kitten but it didn't move. Then it looked at Pike and began to howl. It was deep and sad and the sound made Pike angry. He had heard that sound before; it was the sound of wailing parents, mourning their dead children. So many times Pike wanted to wail with them.

Suddenly, the kitten jumped on Pike and climbed until he was perched on his shoulder like a furry parrot. A rough cat tongue licked his face. The cat looked at him and said "kids".

The cat was an ultimate predator; no hate, no malice to cloud its objective, only survival. The cat was stillness, waiting and watching. Pike was the cat. Cloaked in the invisibility of the dark green woods; it became its surroundings. The world was about survival and kill or be killed. Most around him were oblivious to the danger that passed them like a cool summer breeze.

The cat's message was clear. In order for his daughter to live, Pike would have to die. Years of Yoga and meditation he had learned to slow heart rate and breathing. If they thought he was dead they would let their guard down and give him the advantage of surprise. He concentrated on his body and slowed his heart rate and breathing. Unless they had a stethoscope they would think he was dead.

Pike slumped in the chair limp like the grass in the summer heat. A guard came in a few minutes later.

"Jana, come in here." He felt his heart and checked for a pulse.

"What?" Jana snapped.

"I think he's dead. I can't find a pulse and he's not breathing."

"Damn, Diana's on her way. Oh well, she won't get to watch him die. Lay him out on the floor it will be fun to see her reaction."

Jana left the room; the guard laid him out and cut the restraints.

The cold floor felt good to Pike. His body felt like it was on fire. He was so tired he needed sleep.

Diana offered herself up like a sacrificial lamb to Jana. She wondered if she'd find Joe Pike alive. She hoped Elvis knew what he was doing and she wouldn't regret him leading her team.

"Long time no see, Diana."

"You want me here. I'm here so let Pike go. He's not involved. This is between you and me."

"But I had so much fun with your uncle. I hoped to repeat it with your father."

"He's not my father." Diana said adamantly. "I don't know who my father is. He got my mother pregnant and ran off."

Jana rubbed her fingers together. "This is the world's smallest violin and it's playing for you." Jana nodded and two men grabbed Diana's arms. "Let's go meet your father so you can say good bye."

Diana walked into dank, dimly lit room. The man who was her father was stretched out on the floor. His hands and feet were unbound. Jana would only do that if he was dead, she was too careful.

"I hate to tell you, he's dead. I guess he couldn't handle the drugs. All the crap I read about this guy I have to say I was extremely disappointed. Just like I was with you, Diana." Jana went over and kicked Pike's body. "I had such plans for the two of you. I still plan on shipping you back to them in pieces, though. I promise it will only hurt a little bit."

It felt like a piece of Diana died with the man who she thought was her father. Then Diana got angry. She stomped the foot of the man on her right and when the man to her left got her in a bear hug she threw her head back and smashed him in the face. She heard the sickening sound of bone and cartridge crunching into brain. He let her go and dropped to the floor. Her first captor drew his weapon. Diana kicked out and knocked it from his hand. She knew the fight was pointless because when she finished him off Jana would be next and ready for her attack. All that mattered was that she died trying.

Pike's consciousness floated back, a drowning man struggling to reach the surface. He took a deep breath and heard the struggle in the room. The woman who drugged him was reaching for a gun on the floor as a man and a woman struggled in front of her. Jana touched the gun and Pike's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. There was a look of shock and terror on her face as though she had seen the dead rising, and she had. She kicked out but Joe trapped her leg. He twisted it around throwing her to the ground on her belly. He wrapped a powerful arm around her neck and squeezed until she gurgled. He twisted until he heard her neck snap making certain she was dead. Pike didn't kill women. He always managed to find a way around it but this one had hurt his daughter. If he gave Jana another chance she would do it again. There was nothing for her but death.

Pike picked up the gun. The woman was doing well until she looked up and saw him and froze. Her opponent elbowed her in the face and she fell to the floor. He looked up at Pike and Pike shot him in the heart. He fell to the floor dead.

Pike walked over and reached out his hand and pulled her to her feet. They stood face to face for a moment, staring. They had the same eyes. He understood was Elvis was talking about.

Pike wobbled and Diana reached out to steady him. He raised the gun and saw the look of fear in her eyes as he shot the man who came through the doorway. Diana picked up a gun and they headed through the door. Pike moved her behind him and smiled when she gave an indignant huff.

Pike felt slow like he was moving though water and his headed pounded. By his count there were two more to go if they hadn't already been neutralized. "Two more." Pike said.

Diana nodded. She saw a glint of gun as they headed out of the building. A bullet hit the wall above Joe and Diana returned fire. They hurried for cover and there was no more gunfire. She must have hit her mark.

Pike heard a noise from behind. He spun around in front of Diana, shielding her. She felt him flinch as a bullet grazed him. He was squinting and he was slow from the drugs but he returned fire and took him down. Pike jogged over and shot him again to make sure he was dead, she liked his thoroughness. His moves were impressive considering a few minutes ago he was dead. Maybe Joe Pike deserved to be an urban legend.

"I think that's all of them," he said.

Blood trickled down his arm and she stared at the tattoos she had read about.

"It's just a scratch." He swayed again.

"Are you okay?" Pike was wobbly and looked out of it. His face was bruised and his wrists were cut and bleeding from the flex cuffs.

"Drugs."

"I'm driving."

"Might be a good idea." He knew he could drive if he had to but he didn't need to get them pulled over.

They got to her car. Neither one had sunglasses on and they both squinted in pain at the bright afternoon sunlight. Pike and Diana looked at each other and cocked their heads. Diana burst out laughing.

"Are you my father?"

Pike pulled her into his arms and hugged her for all the years they had been apart and for all he had missed of her life. "I think so," he whispered. He was trying hard not to cry. This was another reason he hated drugs-loss of control.

Even the animals in the wild knew their kin and so did he. Recognition was there on a molecular level. He didn't need a DNA test to confirm she belonged to him.

"I hope so." Diana whispered back.

"Your mother? He wondered who she was; all Pike saw was himself in the woman who stood before him.

"She died when I was born. Her name was Diane."

The words struck him like a punch to the gut taking his breath away. It took a moment before he could respond. "I didn't know. I'm sorry; I would have come for you." He said the words and realized he meant them. Nothing would have stopped him from claiming her.

"We need to go. I can't be here when they come. Where the hell is my team?"


	6. Chapter 6

I called Diana. "We're in place," I said. We had been stuck in traffic.

"Too late, it's over. Tell my men to clean up the mess and head home." She handed the phone off to Pike and drove out of the parking lot.

"What? What about Joe?" I asked.

"I'm fine, Elvis."

"Thank God. Meet you at my place."

"Okay." Pike closed the phone.

"I need to go to Elvis' house."

"Sure. There's a pair of sunglasses in the glove box."

Pike opened it and put them on. "You shouldn't have come."

"Would you have?"

Pike nodded. "I loved your mother, but her family didn't approve." He had loved her as much as he had ever loved any woman, maybe more. It made sense now why her family had torn them apart. She was his first lover and he had loved her a lifetime ago.

"I'm glad. I'm sure she loved you, too. My uncle raised me but it wasn't the same. My grandparents would never see me. I think they blamed me for her death."

Pike put his hand on her arm. "It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I was young I should have tried harder to find her. If I had known about you." If he would have known there was a child he would have. Tears stung at his eyes. He had spent a lifetime closed off from the world as much as from his own emotions. People had told him someday there would be an emotional price to pay and today was that day. He had family now. How could he let her go?

"I'm sure you couldn't have done anything to change their minds." It made her feel good to know she was wanted by someone in this world and conceived in love at least.

Diana had been a failure as a mother and a wife; giving custody of her son to his father after her attempt at a 'normal' life had failed. How would she explain this to her father?

"You have a grandson."

Pike was quiet and nodded.

"He's not like us." She hesitated. "He's an artist like his father."

Pike nodded again. "Good. Do you have a picture?"

"No, not one me. I can get you one."

Pike liked the fact she was careful. Having a family in her position was a liability; they all learned that today. He wanted to make sure his grandson stayed safe.

They did need explanations; they both knew what the words meant.

"You never married."

"No."

Diana nodded. A part of her was happy and a part of her sad that he had never lived a normal life. Pike reached out and took her hand. She looked at him and smiled. She popped the clutch and shifted gears.

"You drive like a maniac."

"Good, I thought you were going to say like a woman."

"You fight like a woman." He sat back and drank in everything about her and thought about the past and Diane. There were pieces of her there; he thought it was the sound of her laugh and her smile. Diane was still with him after all these years and he never knew it.

Pike had to admit he was proud, Diana fought very well, if had hadn't distracted her she would have killed her opponent. He didn't imagine this was something most father's felt, but she was like him.

She laughed again. He liked the sound of her laugh.

"Can you slow down?"

"You look a little green. If you're going to throw up do it out the window or I will, too."

Pike rolled the window down and took deep breaths.

I stopped and got take- out food on the way home along with some beer and bottled water. I wondered what Diana meant by clean up the mess meant, too. I had just set everything on the counter when I saw Pike and Diana walk through the door both wearing sunglasses. Pike looked bad and Diana didn't look much better. Joe was leaning on her. Seeing the two side by side I knew she was his. I grabbed some bottled water and brought it to them.

He drank half a bottle of water. "I need a shower."

"Are you going to be okay in there alone?"

"I may have to shower sitting down," Pike laughed.

Pike laughed!

He was unsteady on his feet, so I walked him back to the bathroom.

Pike smiled. "I have a daughter."

I couldn't help but hug him. "I know, man. I know."

I grabbed the first aid kit for his arm and went back out to Diana. My phone rang and it was Chen. I was worried. What if the results said she wasn't his daughter? If that was the case I guess it would be a secret I'd take to the grave. Pike was happy and I couldn't take that from him.

"Who do I buy cigars for," Chen asked. "One of you has a daughter and some very interesting genes."

"John, I owe you big time."

"Is she old enough to date?"

"Yeah, she is. I gotta go." I hung up the phone and made a snap decision to tell Diana what I knew.

John Chen hung up the phone and stared at the samples. They had to be Pike's and he had no intention of destroying them.

"Is everything okay?" Diana asked.

"He is your father," I said.

Diana smiled. She had a beautiful smile. She grabbed me and hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe. She was beautiful and very strong. I knew the weak didn't last long in her line of work.

"Elvis, I'm glad he has you for a friend."

"I'm the lucky one. He's a damn good man. Let's go out on the deck and have a beer."

Diana agreed and I brought her out a beer and lit the grill. I was hungry for seafood and bought some big prawns, curry rice and vegetable kabobs from the deli.

The DNA tests had confirmed what Pike and his daughter had known all along. I felt a little creepy having the hots for Pike's kid but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Diana seemed to know Pike was there, she hurried into the kitchen to him. She checked him over, his wrists and arm was bandaged.

"Elvis said I am your daughter." She hugged him but he didn't hug her back, she stepped back. I was hoping Pike wasn't going to make the biggest mistake of his life and push his daughter away.

He put his hands firmly on her shoulders. "No one can know, understand?"

Diana nodded and dropped her head down. He hugged her this time. "My enemies are far worse than yours. You'll be a target, now."

"I can handle it," she said defiantly.

"I can't."

I felt bad for eavesdropping but I had to.

Pike grabbed a carton of food from the fridge and took a few mouthfuls; he grabbed a bottle of water and headed back to the guest room.

I dumped rice and extras into bowls, set out plates and waited for the prawns. Not sure why I was trying to make things look fancy.

"Listen, I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier."

Diana shrugged. "No problem, this mess is my fault. I should have just killed her when I caught her. I must be mellowing with age. I should go. I need a shower, my clothes are bloody and I'm beat."

"Eat some food, have a beer and relax. I'll get you an ice pack for your face."

"I must be quite a sight."

"You are a very lovely sight." And she was. "There's plenty of room here, why don't you stay. I'm sure Joe would be disappointed in the morning if you were gone." What I didn't say was so would I. "I have some t-shirts and sweat pants that will fit you, nothing fancy."

"I don't want to overwhelm him with this whole dad thing. He seems like a very quiet, solitary man. An instant family is a bit much."

"I would be proud to have you in my family. Joe is, too." I wondered if that sounded to forward or the fact I called her lovely and invited her for a sleep over.

"That's a very kind thing to say, Elvis."

"Come on upstairs; you can use my bathroom. I'll get you some clothes to wear."

"You really have a wonderful house here, Elvis it has so much character."

"It's a typical bachelor pad I guess."

"Well, it's big enough for two."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I got her clean towels and clothes it had been big enough for me and Lucy and Ben.

"I can sleep on the couch."

"It didn't look very comfortable. We can share."

"We could hang s sheet up like in the movies," I said.

"Don't worry if you get out of line I have a gun. I'll just shoot you,"

I raised my hands in defense. It seemed like ages since I had shared a bed with a woman.

I puttered around the kitchen and checked in on Pike. He seemed to be resting comfortably. I put another bottle of water on the night stand and went up to Diana and bed.

Joe woke up in the middle of the night, like every night. Jogging was out of the question so he sat on the floor and went through yoga moves and pushups. He tried to empty his mind to meditate, but couldn't. He had a hard time accepting there were tragic, dark things in this world that he couldn't change. It was hard to think Diane was gone because he had loved her. She had died alone, abandoned by the ones who were supposed to love and protect her. A piece of her lived on in Diana and their grandson.

Would his life have been different if he had spent it with Diane and then raising their daughter? Maybe not at all, even without his influence Diana had turned out to be so much like him. Maybe what they did was in the genes. He would look at his father's violence in a different light, now.

He got up looked around the house and found no sign of Diana. He looked outside, her car still there. He looked up to the upstairs bedroom where Elvis slept. He walked quietly up the stairs and looked in the room. They were asleep facing opposite's directions. Joe wasn't sure how he would feel about Elvis getting involved with his daughter. Elvis was a good man and she would be safe with him or maybe he would be safe with her. Pike smiled. He couldn't stand the thought of losing either one if things didn't work out between them. Pike was going to keep his mouth shut and let fate take over.

He headed back downstairs for water and food and aspirin, his head was still pounding.

I woke up tangled in Diana Pike. We had arms and legs laid casually over each other. She sighed and smiled when I ran my finger down the bare flesh of her arms. It was tempting to taste those full lips, but I didn't have a clue how Joe would feel about me with his daughter.

She opened those amazing eyes and said. "I have a gun, remember."

"So do I." I was feeling cocky this morning, it had to be because I woke up next to a beautiful woman. She's Pike's daughter I kept telling myself.

She moved to get out of bed. She looked at me and smiled. "I bet it's very big, too."

I felt my face flush.

Diana headed downstairs and picked up her phone. She opened a picture and took it to Joe who was on the deck.

"Here." She handed the phone to Joe. "This is Micah with my ex-husband, Eric."

Diana took a deep breath. It was peaceful here and the view was amazing and the smells from the canyon made her feel relaxed for the first time in a long time.

"Was Eric good to you?" Joe hesitated when he looked at the photo. "Micah looks like your mother."

"Eric was very good, we are still friends. I wasn't cut out to be a wife, I guess." Diana shrugged. "I've only seen a few pictures of my mother when she was a child. I wondered because Micah doesn't look like Eric or me."

She was sad and Pike took her in his arms and held her. It seemed like the natural thing to do.

"You shouldn't have that picture." Family was a weakness, a pressure point that could be used against you.

"I know, but it's the only thing that keeps me going. I've been doing this job along time. I think I'm done now."

"Then it's time to quit. Lack of commitment will get you killed."

I heard Diana sigh and I wanted to hug her, too. "Anyone up for curried rice for breakfast?"


	7. Chapter 7

The house and my life seemed empty after Diana and Joe left. They stayed an extra day at my house then they both disappeared. Pike back to his solitary lifestyle and Diana off to end one life and begin another. The cat stayed with me for the next week, but then he abandoned me, too. I couldn't bring myself to call Lucy. I had nothing to say. I called over and over looking for something I could never get from her-acceptance; of who I was and what I did. Maybe it was time I let that part of my life go, too. I missed Diana. I could be myself with her, I didn't have to keep my guard up, afraid what I had done in my life would scare her away.

I hadn't felt that way since Dolan died. Sure, I could be around Starkey, but the connection just wasn't there and some things you just shouldn't force.

I drank too much beer and moped around the house when I wasn't working. Business had picked up, and I wondered if Diana had anything to do with it. I put the five grand she gave me in an envelope and toyed with the idea of calling Joe for her number, but I wasn't sure he had it, and I didn't want to look like the love-struck fool that I felt like. I didn't feel I had earned the money or helped her with her problem, Joe had done that.

Joe and I had shared something; we were the lone-wolf bachelors with no ties or families. A few weeks ago that had all changed. He was a father, he had a daughter. I had a part-time cat. I wasn't jealous or envious of Joe. I felt incomplete for the first time in my life.

I was out on the deck nursing a beer and staring at the hawks gliding on an updraft, perfectly in tune with one another. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I knew I wasn't alone. My only weapons were my half empty bottle of beer and a spatula for flipping burgers, so I was screwed.

I saw a reflection in the sliding door and realized it was Diana, yes she is Pikes daughter. I put my beer down and hurried to her. I stopped short realizing I was acting like a fool but she closed the distance and threw herself into my arms. I picked her up and spun her around the kitchen. I was so happy I didn't know what to say, so I kissed her. The sweet, shy kiss turned into something wild and intense. We both took a step back. I was breathing heavy and so was she. We stared at each other like two starving people staring at a steak. It was too soon and we both knew it.

"I've got something for you." I ran up to my room for the money. I was afraid of what I'd do or say if I stayed with for much longer.

Diana was on the couch when I came back down. I sat down next to her and handed her the envelope.

She looked confused. "What's this?"

"The money for the job I didn't do. You and Joe took care of things without me."

She pressed it back into my hand. "The money is already accounted for, keep it."

I nodded and tossed it next to me on the couch. "About what I did, I'm sorry."

"You mean the kiss? I'm not?" She smiled and squeezed my hand and I got a rush.

I exhaled so loudly she laughed. "It's just been a very, very long time since I felt like I could rust someone or be myself."

"I know what you mean. My lifestyle cost me a woman I loved. She wanted me to make choices I couldn't make and be someone I wasn't." Had I just made a huge mistake by telling her that?

"I'm sorry Elvis. I know how much that hurts. It's best to find those things out before the marriage and the kids, though. It's easier on everyone."

"We have Joe to think about."

"We?" She looked at me like I was crazy then started laughing. I couldn't help but hug her.

"The long distance thing doesn't seem to work." I said, the voice of experience.

Diana nodded; she'd been through that to. She moved closer to me on the couch. I reached out and offered her me for comfort and she crawled into my arms and we just held each other for a long while. No words or explanations needed, it felt right.

"I was thinking about moving to California, now that I'm homeless and unemployed."

"There's always room for you here if you need a place to stay." I was doing my best at casual.

"I don't know how Joe would feel about me moving here."

"You can live where you want to live." Joe walked in from the deck. Why do I even bother with a front door or locks it doesn't seem to stop them. I don't think that was the response Diana was hoping for.

Diana nodded and pulled out of my arms. "I should get going back to the hotel. Thanks Elvis." She looked away and blushed I did, too. "It was good to see you again, Joe." She walked away to the front door before he could respond. I came up behind her. "Call me tonight. I know some great spots here." She had suddenly turned sad. Having a father like Joe was going to be tough on someone looking for a normal relationship.

"Sure, Elvis."

I got the feeling that wasn't going to happen, though. I followed her out the front door. "Joe's just Joe, he's quiet. Please call me later."

"I'm glad I got to meet you two." She got into her car and drove away, but hopefully not out of my life. I was feeling a bit angry at pike at the moment.

I grabbed a beer and said. "You can live where you want to live?"

Pike shrugged. "What?"

"I think she needed more from you than that. She's in pain. I'll just shut up because this is none of my business. I do like her Joe."

"I've seen that a couple of times now. I've got nothing to give her."

"All she needs is you Joe. To know you are happy to be her father and that you at least care about her. Love acceptance all that crap we and her didn't get as kids." I went out to the deck pissed at myself for butting in, and for caring about her enough to butt in. I didn't want to alienate Joe, but Diana was hurting, and I'm afraid Pike wasn't the kind of father she needed.


	8. Chapter 8

Joe brought my beer out and joined me on the deck.

"I think about it sometimes."

"What."

"Having a family, being like everyone else, but I'm not. Peter…" Pike stared off into the canyon.

"You were an incredible father to Peter. I think the father stuff we learn as we go; it's inside us somewhere when we need it. You just have to look. I'm sorry, what you do is your business, not mine."

"You care about Diana."

I nodded.

"I know you'll be good to her, Elvis."

"Joe, I think she needs a father right, now. You need to talk to her. Do you care about her?"

Joe just stared at me then left. I wondered if I would see him or Diane again and if I could live without either one.

Pike got into the Jeep and drove home to the people and the place that had created him. He hadn't gone home when his mother died. She was as much to blame for his childhood as anyone, She could have taken him and started a new life, just the two of them, but instead she chose to stay and allowed her son to be subjected to the abuse she endured. No child should have to endure that pain at the hands of the ones they love. Fragile faith and trust was destroyed along with child-like innocence.

Pike drove down the block he lived on; it looked much the same only older, like him. There was a for sale sign in front of his house, it looked empty and abandoned.

The dark green woods where he sought refuge were still there; he walked inside and became that terrified child again. His hands began to sweat as he sat in the woods and stared at the house. The woods had save him and comforted him from life's harsh realities if only for a few hours. In some ways they had made him who he was as much as any blow from his father had.

It was here he learned to be invisible. Pike sat on the cold ground and meditated. He heard his mother's voice on the wind. "It's supper-time Joseph, get inside." He could hear his father yelling, smell the whiskey and feel the blows. Pike sat in the woods and stared at the house until it became dark. He took a flyer out of the box and thought about tearing it down, but he hadn't gone home for himself. He had gone home for Diane.

The cemetery where Diane was buried was just outside of town. He stopped on the way to buy flowers; it seemed like the thing to do. He remembered she liked lilacs and yellow wildflowers. He picked wildflowers every time he went to her, they made her smile and he liked her smile.

He found her family plot and the fresh earth where her murdered uncle was buried, but there was no Diane. He searched the grounds for a caretaker; he took Pike all the way to the end of the cemetery where she was buried all by herself. Her plot was covered in weeds and had no real marker. Joe felt hot in the cool summer breeze; she had been tossed aside, abandoned, as though she never existed. He sat pulled the weeds and tried to remember the sound of her voice and the scent of her skin, but it was a lifetime ago. He put his hand on the ground and said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. Thank you for our daughter. Our grandson looks like you."

He remembered how sweet she was and how much he loved her. He brushed the dampness from his cheeks. If different choices had been made, his life would have been different, but all those choices had been out of his control, except for loving Diane, that belonged to him. He found the caretaker and gave him an envelope of cash to clean up the plot, and he bought the one next to hers.

He ordered a headstone for her and went back to the flower shop and put an auto delivery for her plot 4 times a year. He wasn't sure if he could bury himself in this town when the time came, but he didn't want Diane to be alone.

Now he needed to go home and face the living, and the choices he had made.


	9. Chapter 9

Diana liked to run right before daybreak. The world was quiet and just beginning to come alive. No matter where she was she found sunrise and the promise a new day would bring. She'd been in L.A. for a week and had avoided a call from Elvis since she left his house. No word from her father, what did she expect, puppies and rainbows weren't what she got out of life. She showed up in his life, got him tortured and nearly killed. He was a smart man, run fast and far.

She put on her shoes and headed for the ocean one last time. She decided to leave before she destroyed what Joe and Elvis had. In two days she would be on the beach in the Caribbean crying in a fruity drink. Her frugal farmer family had left her money and land enough to last her a lifetime. Why they had left it all to her was a mystery.

It was cool, foggy morning and she could taste the sweetness of the salt air, feel the dampness on her skin. It would be a short run today she'd hadn't slept more than a few hours the last few days. She regretted the decision of coming here. Joe had been more than capable of handling Jana without her help and now she had the answer to the question that had haunted her all of her life, who was her father? A part of her wished she still didn't know and that she had never met the man. Diana couldn't change the past any more than she could make her father or her son love her. She had repeated her mother's mistake and had gotten pregnant from the bad boy Eric, her uncle didn't approve of. Keeping Micah had never been an option for her. When Eric's family was told the baby would be put up for adoption they had threatened her family and insisted they raise him. All she ever was able to give him was the name, Micah. She and Eric had married briefly and tried to be a family, but they didn't love each other, only their son. Another failure to add to her endless list.

Diana was jolted back to reality by the feeling she wasn't alone. She moved deep into the early morning fog and felt the adrenaline rush take over. Well trained and capable of defending herself; she kept her pace steady; running was a sign of weakness. The business with Jana still had her on edge. Jana had friends; most of them had died with her at the warehouse. Steady footsteps were moving up behind her. She tried not to let paranoia win out. She wasn't the only early morning jogger in the world. The jogger moved up to her right, she looked over and saw Joe. She felt a myriad of emotions and settled on anger. She stopped in her tracks and stared.

Pike had followed Diana from the hotel; she had a good gait and pace of a long time runner, something they had in common. He thought about her a lot on the trip back to L.A. and what it would be like to have someone else in his life. He was as solitary as they come in this world, being her father would involve things he wasn't used to doing. Push him outside his comfort zone. Elvis was angry, and his tone accusing the last time he saw him. Was he just being selfish and thinking about himself? He had considered the idea of raising Peter, but decided a child needed a mother and a father. Diana wasn't a child, she was his daughter who had risked her own life to protect him, and find some kind of acknowledgement of her existence. DNA didn't lie, and neither did his instincts. He needed to do this for Diana and himself.

She was too good not to know he was there but she kept her pace steady and didn't falter. He was surprised when she pulled up short. He thought maybe she had pulled a muscle and he stopped. Her reaction surprised him.

"What do you want? Don't worry, I'm leaving tomorrow." Her tone and her stance were defensive and her eyes were angry, but sad at the same time.

"I know."

"Well, I guess there's nothing more to say, Mr. Pike."

Diana spun on her heels and took off at top speed. He could have run her down but she was angry and all that would be said between them would be angry words. She had been rejected and hurt by the ones she loved; another thing they had in common.

Pike headed home for a shower.

Diana ran as fast as she could back to the safety of her hotel room and away from her father. She took a long hot bath and ordered breakfast even though she wasn't hungry. She paced around the room angry at herself for snapping at Joe and angrier for running away from him like a child. What was done was done. She had tried and failed and it was time to move on. She hurried to the door and found Joe standing there. He was dressed like he was every time she had seen him and he was wearing the sunglasses that hid sad eyes like hers. She opened the door and stepped aside, maybe now they could say goodbye like adults. Room service was right behind him with her breakfast.

"Could you bring me another cup, please," she asked the waiter.

He brought another cup back and Joe tipped him as she went for her purse, then Joe closed the door.

She was nervous about being alone with him. Scared of what he had to say, and how she would react to it so she busied herself with the tea. She sat down on the couch, grateful she had taken a suite. He had a larger than life presence and calmness with a hint of edge most people couldn't pick up on. She had spent a lifetime trying to spot the enemy and the predator and Joe set off her signals. They sipped their tea in silence and she waited for what was to come.

"I went to the cemetery and took care of Diane's plot. I ordered a headstone."

Diana nodded. "Thank you. I've never been there."

Joe wondered why. "Are you leaving because of me?"

"No, there's nothing for me here. I did what I needed to do and almost got you killed."

Pike found her words emotionless and measured and gave nothing away. She had been taught how to handle an interrogation and he wondered if she had experienced it first-hand. He hoped not.

"You should have told me what was going on."

"Hi, I might be your daughter and someone is here to kill you. That would have been simpler, I guess."

Pike shrugged and sipped his tea. "What about, Elvis?"

"What about him?"

"He likes you, you like him."

"He's a nice guy. I could have gotten him killed, too. All's well that ends well. We all made it out alive. I am sorry for what Jana put you through. I didn't ask for any of this though."

Her hard exterior was cracking. Pike remained silent.

"Maybe you should leave now. Again, I apologize for how things went down but that's what happens sometimes, unexpected things come into play. There are no certainties in life, except death. Tell Elvis I'm sorry, too."

Pike didn't move and continued to sip his tea. "Tell him yourself."

Diana snorted softly and smiled. Two could play his game. She poured herself tea and offered the pot to Joe.

"You didn't have to come. I understand you don't want an instant family."

"It was unexpected."

"Life will do that to you."

"How old is, Micah."

"I repeated mom's mistake. I had him when I was 17. My uncle was going to put him up for adoption, but Eric's family insisted on raising him."

"You weren't a mistake." Children were never mistakes.

"Unexpected?"

"Yes, unexpected. Was Micah a mistake?"

"No. The only mistake was me being his mother. I guess I couldn't give him what I never had."

"I know."

Joe spoke volumes by saying very little. She understood what he meant.

"You're a smart man."

"It's hereditary. I don't know what I can give you."

"This is good and the occasional hug." Diana smiled.

"I can do that. Do you need money?"

"I saved a lot, those of us with language skills make a premium, plus my uncle left everything to me."

"How many languages do you know?"

"How many can I speak fluently, 8. I can translate several others, some I can't speak but I can translate."

Pike nodded. "Impressive. Good to know."

Diana walked over to her bag. "I found these when I went home. She was beautiful. You're right, Micah does look like her." She handed some old photos to Joe.

"Yes she was." Pike didn't think about the past, that's what the arrows on his arms meant. Always moving forward otherwise you could drown in the past. "Can I have one?"

"Sure I made a copy just in case."

"Smart."

"Like my father."

Joe stood up and hugged her for a long time. They were going to have to make peace with each other and their pasts.

"You should take Elvis to Fiji. He could use a vacation."

"How did you know I was going to Fiji?"

"I'm your father; it's my job to know."


End file.
